Overview

Designed to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to move through the creativity and innovation process and take new ideas to the commercial marketplace, this program provides an intensive examination of the scope of demands of real-world innovation and product development, whether tangible object, system or service.

Throughout this program, learn to think about designing new or updated products, services or processes, the logistics of implementing those ideas, and how to do it all in the corporate environment or entrepreneurial space. Leave this program equipped with the skills and expertise needed to operate in high-functioning teams and creative product- and service-development-focused environments.

Program Benefits

Formulate plans to implement new or updated products, services or processes or produce new devices, including plans to go to market

Design new or updated products, services, or processes to fulfill unmet needs

Create a plan using entrepreneurship strategies and tactics to advance employment in an organization focused on new product, service or process development

Analyze the viability of a new product or innovation, and identify potential challenges that may arise when bringing to market

Utilize rapid prototyping/systems thinking to refine new or updated products, services, and processes, or iterate on existing ideas or properties

Define customers and other relevant constituents, and utilize segmentation approaches to prioritize and determine gaps between wants, gets or unmet needs

Examine how customers perceive competitive products and services

Explain the rationale for the design and marketing plan for the new or updated product, service or process

Identify customers, product or service features, including pricing, promotion and distribution strategies to go to market

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Learn from a recent graduate how he was able to immediately apply his newly acquired knowledge and skills on the job and elevate his position.

Course Schedule

Required Courses

Title

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

MGMT X484.1

Introduction to Innovation and Creativity (2.5 units)MGMT X484.1
This course introduces the students to the various theoretical concepts related to the human creative process, developing creative ideas, and converting ideas into innovative solutions or products. Topics emphasize the importance of creating a sustainable process to continually innovate in the areas of product, process and service innovation. Students will be introduced to various common tools and methods to promote creativity in others, contribute to a creative team, manage development frameworks alongside creativity, and establish a culture of creativity within an organization. This course prepares students to contribute to their organizational needs for the continuous and successful development of new products and services.

Managing Development Projects (2.5 units)MGMT X484.31
This class teaches practical skills in aligning projects with organizational strategies, and achieve project and outcome objectives by utilizing project management techniques. Students will learn skills to work within resource limitations, identify and leverage stakeholders, plan and deliver upon deadlines (even when schedule fluctuations occur) and manage user and stakeholder expectations within the realm of product development. Topics also include measuring and prioritizing opportunities, maximizing resource efficiency, developing product extension strategies, building a project portfolio, and securing buy-in from upper management. The goals for product development project management include speed to the market, developing minimal viable products (MVP) and the ability to quickly modify and change features during development.

Strategic Pitching, Networking and Marketing (2.5 units)MGMT X484.71
Learn the skills necessary to “own the room” and grab the attention of stakeholders, investors, collaborators and executives in this exciting and ever-important course. From impression management to concept pitching, to honing your online and offline networking skills, this course covers all the bases needed to effectively and confidently grow your buy-in potential and bring an audience to your concept, idea, product or service. Additionally, review and analyze the lessons of basic marketing concepts and how they relate to personal professional goals, as well as organizational strategy.

Leading Development Teams (2.5 units)MGMT X484.5
Product development teams require strong leadership and the ability to bring together multiple functions and cultures to effectively bring a new or major modified product or service to the market. This course will concentrate on the specific and unique approaches for creating a high performing product development team. During product development, teams are confronted with a number of ongoing organizational challenges and there is a high potential for conflict between participants in the process. This course addresses teamwork and other "soft-side" factors that largely determine whether product development programs are successfully completed on schedule. Topics include building and launching effective teams, conducting team touch-bases and meetings, strategies for long-term team communication, and the specialized needs for innovative development-centered teams.

Elective Courses

Title

Winter

Spring

Summer

Fall

Also of Interest

MGMT X484.11

Design Thinking Quickstart: Interactive Workshop (3.5 units)MGMT X484.11
In today’s rapidly changing world, companies must be able to tackle and deal with significant problems in a timely and organized fashion. This applies to new product development, services and the various business processes. Design thinking is a methodology used to analyze and determine the root cause of problems or issues and develop alternative approaches to solve these issues. This includes the features and requirements for a new product or service or developing a better process methodology to speed and streamline work flowing through an organization. We add this initial methodology to the concept of a Design Sprint which is a highly organized approach to take your development from the initial concepts through the various steps to develop a business plan. The steps include: developing the root cause problem (also identify associated symptoms), brainstorming solutions, creating a scoring model to assess the viability of each potential solution, select the most viable solutions and create a model or prototype that can be demonstrated or explained and then demonstrating to potential customers, getting feedback and modifying the concept accordingly.

Specialized Studies Award Requirements

The Specialized Studies Award is earned upon completion of four (4) required courses for a total of ten (10) units or 100 hours of instruction, with a letter grade of “C” or better. To receive your award, submit a Request for Certificate after completing all program requirements. All requirements must be completed within five (5) years after the student enrolls in his/her first course. Students not pursuing the specialized studies program are welcome to take individual courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

The estimated cost of the entire program is approximately $2,225. There is also a Request for Specialized Studies fee of $35 to be paid upon completion of all required courses. Note that you pay for each class as you enroll, as opposed to the entire tuition sum at once. Please keep in mind that this cost does not include textbooks, which some of our instructors do require. Textbook information for specific courses can be found on our website on the enrollment page. Prices are subject to change without notice.

That depends on how many classes you can take at once. Given that the program consists of 4 required courses, if you take one class per quarter you would be done in one year. Most students who work full time take one or two classes per quarter, depending on their work schedules and other obligations. You can take as many simultaneous courses as you wish, but we strongly recommend starting with one or two to ensure you have the necessary time to devote to the course(s).

No, the classes are not self-paced. Our online classes take place in an asynchronous online environment, meaning there will not be a day of the week or time of day that you will need to be online. You can log in when you have time to do so. However, the courses are structured week-to-week, from Monday to Sunday, and you are expected to log in multiple times during the week to keep up with class discussions and assignments.

Yes. As an open-enrollment program, international students are welcome in the program. Please note that if English is not your native language, enrollment in this program assumes that you have a working proficiency in English to allow you to engage in high-level academic discourse without any additional language coaching. If you are interested in taking the program fully online, you may enroll in courses via the Continuing Education website at your convenience and on a quarter by quarter basis. You are not required to have a student visa while taking online courses from your home county.

No. While UCI DCE does not offer placement services, our certificate certainly puts you in a good position to find employment. Additionally, the networking to be done in the class can also be invaluable. Our advisors, instructors, and a good number of our students, are current professionals in the field, and are an excellent resource for hiring trends and opportunities.

Yes. We are affiliated with the University of California system of schools, and are accredited through WASC. DCE programs are all approved by the respective school within UCI. For more information, please see UCI Accreditation.

On-site Training Available

Our Corporate Training specialists can deliver this program or customize one that fits your organization’s specific needs. Visit Corporate Training or call (949) 824-1847 for information.

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require
professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading
comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.